Industry Trade Shows, Consumer Expos, Seminars & Conventions

Each of these events give you the opportunity to present your products and services.  They can be great vehicles for building brand awareness, meeting new prospects and for cementing relationships with existing clients.  The key to a successful event is to make the best use of the limited time at the event.  Here are some ideas that will increase your effectiveness at your next tradeshow or similar event.
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1. INVITE CLIENTS - First invite all your existing clients to the event. This will give them the opportunity to see products that you offer that he isn't currently using. Next invite potential clients, the ones that just won't give you an appointment.  For a Trade Show you may wish to invite them by mail, phone or email.  For a Consumer Expo you may wish to use Direct Mail, Newspaper or other media advertising.

One of our clients used a two step approach to get his best customers to a Trade Show.  He mailed an invitation to each of them and included a small vinyl pouch in each envelope.  The invitation said "Please bring this vinyl pouch to our booth to receive it's contents".  When they arrived they were given the small manicure set pictured to the right.  He had a very successful show.

2. LOOK PROFESSIONAL - Both the exhibit and the exhibitors should look professional.  That doesn't necessarily mean one has to wear a suit and tie, but something that is appropriate to one's business.  A cable or satellite TV company could dress all of their exhibitors in referee shirts if they were promoting their sports channels.  Whenever possible either a name badge or shirt bearing your company name or logo should be worn to identify you as an exhibitor.

A custom table cover does wonders to enhance company image.  True they are a little expensive, but how many events like this do you attend in a year?  A quality table cover will last for years and be a very good investment.
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3. TANGIBLE REMINDERS OF YOUR BUSINESS - If your promotional products are just "giveaways", you're missing the boat.  A well selected promotional product should be directed toward your target market and connected in some way to your company's products or services.  A tire gauge is a great promotional product for car dealers, tire dealers and mechanics, but a lousy item for banks, beauty salons and restaurants.  The greater the connection between your message and your promotional product, the better it will do it's job of reminding your customer of your business.  After all, the car dealer didn't give you the tire gauge so that you could check your tires, he gave it you so that you would think of his dealership when you did check your tires.  That tire gauge is a tangible reminder of his business.

4. CONSIDER MULTIPLE PROMOTIONAL ITEMS - We don't say this just because we sell promotional products, but because it can actually help you stay within your budget. First have an inexpensive item for everyone that will come by your booth.  Consumer Expos sometimes look like Trick or Treat for adults. Remember the client who gave out manicure sets? That was only for people who brought in the empty case.  There were imprinted emery boards and pocket combs on his table for everyone else.

The idea is to have a nice inexpensive item on your table for the general public, maybe a nicer gift for those who stop and talk with you for a few minutes, potential customers.  And finally something under the table for those who allow you to set an appointment with them, or for existing customers that stop in.

Trade Shows and Seminars bring you to a much more targeted market. Most of the attendees really are potential customers.  This justifies nicer promotional items, but the idea of a second and even third tier item for certain attendees still holds true.

5. COLLECT CONTACT INFORMATION - Have some type of a drawing. Trade Show attendees will usually use business cards, but you'll need some sort of Entry Blank for Consumer Expos.  Be sure it ask for all of the pertinent contact information.  These entry blanks and business cards will give you an enormous contact base to be worked as soon as possible after the show.

6. FOLLOW UP - You got them to the show, got them interested in your products and services, and hopefully even sent them home with a tangible reminder of your business, now follow up and close the deal.

Thank you for taking the time to read Trade Shows 101, we hope you found some new ideas that will make your next show more successful.  You can find some suggested Trade Show, Consumer Expo, Seminar and Conference products by clicking "Trade Show Ideas" on our menu bar.  You can browse our entire 2009 Best Buys catalog by clicking "Kaeser & Blair Best Buys" on the menu bar.  Also feel free to contact me by phone or email for additional information or to order tangible reminders of your business.   
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